MODULATION OF AMBIGUITY, A COGNITIVE FUNCTION OF REPRESENTATIONS DURING IDEA GENERATION
Year: 2015
Editor: Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco CantaMESsa, Dorian Marjanovic, Francesca Montagna
Author: Kasatkina, Olga; de Vries, Erica; Masclet, Cédric; Boujut, Jean-François
Series: ICED
Institution: Univ. Grenoble Alpes France
Section: Innovation and Creativity
Page(s): 339-348
ISBN: 978-1-904670-71-1
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
The role of the representations that are developed in creativity sessions is often overlooked as a potential factor, which can influence the progression and the results of those sessions. Through the qualitative analysis of a case, observed in an open innovation center called Ideas Lab, we will explain the use, the nature and the functions of representations developed during a creativity session. We aim at articulating Duval s representational cognitive functions and the mode of attribution of meaning, polysemic versus monosemic, in creativity sessions as specific situations. In addition to the classical cognitive functions of Duval s framework, we propose a new cognitive function of representation that we call the modulation of ambiguity specific to the creative process. The representation allows the adjustment of the ambiguity level to give way to a variety of interpretations. This potential of the modulation of polysemy supports the idea generation activity by introducing or preserving a variety of interpretations, and prepares the idea evaluation phase by reducing polysemy and supporting the construction of a common understanding.
Keywords: Creativity, Early Design Phases, Innovation, Teamwork, Design Methodology